Cloughjordan won the prize for best Green Community, for the second year in a row, at the 2013 National Green Awards held last Thursday at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. The awards, hosted by 98fm’s Dermot Whelan, took place before a packed audience of the highest echelons of Ireland’s greenest businesses, organisations and individuals.
Greg Allen, representing the Cloughjordan Community Development Committee, accepted the award, which recognises the work of the many groups and organisations active in the entire village of Cloughjordan. This is a wonderful acknowledgment of the community achievements made locally in energy performance, green building, eco-tourism, tree planting, local enterprise, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
Building on its rich heritage Cloughjordan is rapidly becoming a leading example of how a community can begin to play its part in climate adaptation, biodiversity enhancement, developing a local and green economy as well as being a healthy environment to live, work, learn and play in. This small Irish community is truly pioneering a collective approach to making our villages, towns, and city neighborhoods more sustainable and resilient to adversity.
The judges said: “This was a closely fought category, with some very strong entries. Cloughjordan won because of its growing international reputation as a trendsetting ‘eco village’ and its many green projects including the community farm. Its innovative approach is attracting interest from similar communities all over Ireland and the world, keen to learn the secrets of Cloughjordan’s success.”
The awards attracted over 160 entries, with judges commenting on the overall high standards which made choosing the eventual winners all the more difficult. Tipperary resident Paul Kenny, CEO of the Tipperary Energy Agency, won the Green Leader award for his work as an energy efficiency pioneer.
On the 3rd or 4th of May Cloughjordan honour the legacy of Thomas MacDonagh, who was born in Cloughjordan in 1878, in the fourth Thomas MacDonagh Weekend. This is coordinated by The Cloughjordan Heritage Group and includes the official opening of the new Thomas MacDonagh Heritage Centre. Details can be found at www.cloughjordan.ie.
Visitors are always welcome to visit the Ecovillage at Cloughjordan, there are free tours every Saturday and Sunday leaving from the Sheelagh na Gig Bookshop on the Main Street at 3pm, more information at www.thevillage.ie
